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Apple is planning to reduce the number of iPhone X units it manufactures by as much as 50 per cent, according to a report on Nikkei.
The company is reported to be disappointed with Christmas sales volumes for the top-spec, fancy-pants iPhone X, apparently ignoring the possibility that the $1,000 price tag might have something to do with it.
And anyway, it’s not like no-one bought it – that could not be further from the truth.
According to researcher Canalys, the iPhone X sold 29 million units – that’s actually more than any other handset in the final quarter of 2017.
So what’s the problem here? Is this really a story about poor sales or a story about unlimited corporate greed? What more could Apple want from the iPhone X if it’s already the best-selling smartphone?
And why is that seen as some sort of failure, prompting near-panic on the stock market and Apple shares to nosedive? What the pants is going on?
It turns out that Apple was hoping for unit sales of 40 million for the iPhone X, not the 29 million it actually sold over the Christmas holiday period, because that’s only $29 billion and that’s only 11 digits.
Apple is responding to this disastrously tiny $29 billion sales figure by cutting production of iPhone X from 40 million to 20 million going forward.
But in reality, the quarter immediately following the holiday period is when most companies reduce supply because the market generally demands less anyway.
Maybe reducing it by half looks a bit drastic, but Apple apparently decided to go for a large initial production run and see what the market for the iPhone X was, before it decided on its next production run.
Also, the challenges of manufacturing such an advanced gadget in large quantities may also be a factor.
Many entirely new technologies were either specifically developed for the iPhone X or adopted by Apple for the needlessly over-expensive device.
Some of Apple’s manufacturing partners on the iPhone X project – which includes Foxconn, Taiwan Semiconductor and even Sony and Samsung – have been complaining that there are too many never-been-tried-before technologies in the iPhone, which meant they had to change large parts of their production processes.
But Apple’s infuriating habit of asking too much of everyone does have positive side-effects. Its sensor- and chip-laden iPhones and iPads have sold so many units – more than 2 billion so far – that they have brought down the cost of mass production of those components.
Sensors and chips which may have been too expensive for many hardware development startups in previous times are now affordable because of Apple’s bothersome ways.
And some might say, even if Apple made a loss on the iPhone X – unimaginable as it seems – it’s a project that a company like Apple should continue with because it’s like the big car companies and Formula One racing.
None of the big car companies makes any significant amount of money directly from Formula One racing, but they get to test their most advanced technologies for use in prototypes and future production cars they might release to the mass market.


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Slowing US inflation, stabilizing international oil selling prices
Europe’s vitality disaster suffers from inflation
There is speculation that costs in nations around the world about the environment have reached their peak. This is since there are a number of indicators that can be interpreted as the starting of a slowdown in world inflation, such as slowing inflation in the United States and China and the stabilization of worldwide commodity price ranges. Having said that, in the primary European international locations, it is far too early to see that the world selling price boost has slowed down, with inflation intensifying due to the vitality disaster from Russia.
The modern observations of easing international inflation are generally based mostly on the US circumstance. This is mainly because US inflation-connected indicators, which have led world inflation in the meantime, are exhibiting indications of advancement. The US Shopper Rate Index (CPI), launched on the 10th (regional time), improved by 8.5% as opposed to the very same month very last year. The enhance fell in comparison to the prior thirty day period (9.1%), which was the largest because November 1981, and fell small of market place anticipations (8.7%). Compared to the preceding thirty day period, the inflation price was %.
In addition, the US producer rate index (PPI) fell .5% in July from the former month, the to start with damaging document because April 2020. This was in contrast to the obvious upward pattern till the earlier month. It is analyzed that the cost of US vitality fell 4.6% in July from the previous thirty day period, and that the ordinary value of gasoline, which at the time approached $5 for every gallon in June, fell down below $4 for every gallon, thanks to stabilization vitality rates. Despite the fact that the United States is nonetheless suffering from its worst inflation in a lot more than 40 a long time, some predict that the Fed will alter the charge of interest charge raises future thirty day period as inflation has moderated somewhat.
In China, the world’s next major economic system, producer charges rose just 4.2% in July from the identical month final year, recording the most affordable fee of boost in 17 months. China’s customer value index rose 2.7% in July, the greatest in two years. It was decrease than the market place forecast (2.9%). When compared to key European countries and the United States, where by buyer cost inflation is in the 8-9% variety, China is in great shape.
The price tag of uncooked resources this kind of as crude oil, which rose right after Russia invaded Ukraine, displays a tendency to return to the pre-war degree. The international oil value the moment broke earlier mentioned $130 a barrel in March, but has stabilized at about $90 a barrel this month. Copper, iron ore, nickel and aluminum selling prices also fell by around 10%. Foodstuff rates are also falling as Ukraine’s grain exports resume. The World Food stuff Value Index compiled by the Food items and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO) fell by 8.6% in July as opposed to the previous month, the greatest drop due to the fact October 2008.
Nonetheless, charges keep on to soar in Europe, where by inflationary pressures due to the electricity disaster have greater. In the euro space, consumer value inflation rose 8.9% in July, the highest degree because 1997, when the details began to be counted. In the British isles, the inflation fee did not exceed 9% from April to June, and the chance of a economic downturn is remaining raised. In Germany, customer value inflation rose to 7.5% in July, marginally lessen than the past month (7.6%), but worries about house inflation are expanding.

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A new Lincoln Netto store is set to open its doors on October 15, bringing 20 jobs to the area.
The Danish discount supermarket is based in the former Blockbuster Unit on the Lindis Retail Park.
It will celebrate its grand opening with live music from the Netto band, balloon modelling for the children and a chance to meet Netto’s giant LEGO Scottie, the biggest LEGO dog in the world.
Founded in 1981, the supermarket chain originally came to the UK in 1990.
In 2010 Asda bought the shops that Netto had, and the brand left the UK again until last year.
This is the eighth store to be launched in the UK since the first one opened in Leeds in November 2014, covering 12,000 sq ft and stocking over 2,000 products.
The new Lincoln store will include an in-house bakery, which will provide fresh Danish breads and traditional Danish pastries. All fresh meat is British and there will also be seasonal British fruit and vegetables.
Netto has its own-label brands that has been created for the UK market called ‘Premieur’ and ‘Easy’, as well as established brands from Netto’s existing portfolio.
Morten Moberg Nielsen, Managing Director at Netto UK, said: “We are excited to be opening a new store in Lincoln and to be part of the local community.
“We look forward to welcoming new customers from the area and to bring a taste of Scandinavian to the town. At Netto, we think that everyone should be able to buy nice things, in a nice shop, at a nice price.”
For the latest dispatch of business news from across Lincolnshire delivered in your inbox every Friday, subscribe to the Lincolnshire Business magazine.


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With less than a week to go before election day in Maryland, Kojo sits down with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alec Ross.
Why do some websites charge a sales tax on purchases while others don’t? Most retailers do not have to charge taxes for online purchases made in states that they do not have a physical presence. State governments are missing out on billions in tax revenue, but smaller e-retailers contend the patchwork of nearly 10,000 different sales tax rates and policies make coordinating payments prohibitively difficult. We talk with experts about why you are (or are not) paying taxes on the Internet and the changes that may be in store for e-commerce.
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Coin Gaming, the folks behind the Bitcasino.io brand, began offering a Bitcoin-powered B2B sportsbook product last summer. This week, they announced the launch of their own Bitcoin sports betting site, Sportsbet.io, along with a companion mobile product.
The Curacao-licensed Sportsbet.io is vowing to offer over 350k pre-match events per year, with a peak of 70k events during prime months, such as this one, which sees the quadrennial UEFA championship kick off next Friday (10).
Sportsbet.io is hoping to capitalize on the Euro 2016 betting bonanza by betting that punters will see the advantage in being able to claim their winnings more or less instantly. Coin Gaming spokesperson Joe Jordan says Sportsbet.io plans to replicate the average 2.5-minute withdrawal time that Bitcasino.io customers have come to expect.
As a further sweetener, Sportsbet.io is running a contest in which some lucky customers will win tickets to Euro 2016 matches, including the final in St-Denis, France on July 10.
Sportsbet.io players can choose to wager via their own Bitcoins, or exchange them for local currency on the site via its broker integration with Cubits and Coinify. The site also offers high-value customers a customized VIP program, complete with “their own hostess, to provide a tailored service that gives players the level of attention they deserve.”
Speaking of attention, it will be worth seeing whether the new site’s name draws any flak from online gambling giant Paddy Power Betfair, given the possibility of confusion with that company’s Australian online betting division Sportsbet.


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Ramya Ramachandran is a young entrepreneur who founded Whoppl, a new age influencer content & commerce agency in 2019. She brings with her demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry with a niche in Influencer & content marketing.
Contemporary lives are lived as much online as they are lived in the real world. Nobody can deny the crucial and sometimes intrusive role played by social media platforms in the way consumers make purchase decisions today. A recent study concluded that a whopping 49 percent of consumers relied on social media influencers to make important purchase decisions.
Clearly there is a massive opportunity for brands and influencers alike. It’s no surprise that the
Influencer Marketing Report found that the Indian influencer industry will expand at a CAGR of 25 percent to be worth INR 2,200 crore BY 2025.
Yet, another recent report by Kaalari Capital pointed out towards the nascent stage that India’s creator economy is currently in. The report found out that India currently has approximately eight crore creators, but only about 1.5 lakh can monetizetheir services effectively. That is less than 0.2 percent!
The opportunity is knocking on our doors, all that India needs to do is learn how to capitalize on the growing trend. In order to understand the market deeper we spoke to influencer marketing expert Ramya Ramachandran. The young entrepreneur and founder of Whoppl tells us about her company, its unique features and much more.
Is the pandemic changing audience content consumption patterns, and how has it impacted influencer marketing?
The pandemic has definitely changed consumption patterns, there has been a significant increase in screen time. As per research, India currently has over 448Mn active social media users who on an average spend 2 hours & 25 minutes everyday, a majority of them being Gen Z- Influencer marketing has surely become all the more relatable and topical today as it comments on real life experiences with brand integration becoming more seamless and personal which works better to plug in brand mandates as well as gives the brand a chance to build a personal connection with their audience.
Tell us about Whoppl, its specialization and the services that your company offers.
Whoppl is a new age digital first influencer content marketing agency, where we come up with creative campaigns for brands across digital platforms.
We've 3 main verticals-
1. Creating content at scale - our creator led in-house content hub where we work hand in hand with influencers to create relatable content, giving them an opportunity to work with some of the most loved brands in India that appeal to a vast majority of the target audience around the world, waiting for the influence to kick in!
2. Influencer marketing campaigns/strategy - Here we pick and choose influencers best suited to the brand tone and creative brief and build on a campaign that is customized, insightful and filled with key notes from our influencer network!
3. Live commerce - In a ‘like minds coming together’ we have partnered with Swirl a live commerce platform making the consumer’s shopping experience one of a kind, immersed with quirky content right from browse to purchase.
With what mission and objectives was the company set up? Tell us about the company’s growth journey since its inception?
The boom of digital media grappled all of us and we were quick to realize the gap of creative influencer led marketing agencies in the market. While there have been influencer agencies and talent management agencies but a content driven influencer marketing agency which works as an intermediary between the brand and the influencers, understanding the brief as well as the influencers’ persona, we primarily focus on shaping the brands narrative to audiences in a way they can relate & resonate.
As for the journey, we started off by catering to just one category initially with a handful of influencers and today not only have we worked with brands across categories but have also diversified into creating content at scale and live commerce and shoppable videos. Making 800+ hours of content, 100+ campaigns & 5000+ influencers from the ecosystem.
Tell us about some of the major challenges the company has faced so far.
In terms of challenges I believe we have the first mover’s advantage and have been able to carve out a niche for ourselves with content being at the core of what we do. But, with the recent creator economy boom, there is a lot of competition in the digital space and having an edge over the competition and staying true to our niche by creating clutter breaking content is what keeps us going.
How do you plan to revolutionize the Indian influencer marketing sector and what are your plans to tap the market?
We have diversified with time, not only adding brands to our portfolio but also offering more services. Right from creating content at scale to live commerce, we are now slowly diversifying and tapping right into the creator economy wherein we give creators a chance to monetise by brand collaborations through their own labels and creations which further opens up more opportunities. Constant diversification, exploration and expansion is most definitely a part of the plan.
What are your future plans, and what are your top priorities for 2023?
The influencer marketing landscape is growing and constantly diversifying with the creator economy boom. So while we are still focused on our niche of creating content driven influencer marketing campaigns, we are also diving into live commerce, an attempt to provide end to end solutions. Further we are also looking at creating more influencer led performance campaigns, heading towards a more data driven approach.


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Deborah J. Comstock: The selling of America: The dramatic increase of foreign-owned farmlands
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me
According to a recent article in US News, May 28, 2019, nearly 30 million acres of U.S. farmland is now owned by foreign countries. These are quietly emerging facts disturbing to many Americans, particularly small- and medium-sized farmers.
Many states have no regulations to stop the purchase of foreign countries from buying American farmlands. For example, Ohio and Texas have no restrictions, and approximately half a million acres of prime farmland have sold to foreign-owned entities. In Ohio this, in part, translates to 64,000 acres owned by companies from the Netherlands. The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting Tool (apps.investigatemidwest.org/afida/) provides information by state, county and name regarding foreign-owned lands. For example, Canada is top owner of American farmlands at 6.87 million acres; the Netherlands follows at 4.87 million acres; Germany with 1.94 million acres; the United Kingdom at 1.7 million acres; Italy with 1.4 million acres and France with 1.04 million acres. And the number is increasing.
In 1998, approximately 10 million acres of American farmland were foreign-owned, compared to 27.3 million acres in 2014. In summary, 54.9 percent of American land under foreign ownership is forestland; 23.6 percent pastureland and 21.5 percent cropland.
There are many reasons why foreign entities buy American lands. Reasons vary by investor. In northwest Ohio, for example, the Netherlands purchased 64,000 acres for the development of wind farms. Their reason is cold, hard cash. According to Stephen Raes, economic minister for the Netherlands embassy in Washington, D.C., the Dutch nationalized pension is 130% the size of the nations’ gross domestic product. In other words, profits from farmland investments go directly to support the pensions of that country.
In 2013, the Chinese purchased Smithfield Foods, a meat processing company, and immediately gained over 146,000 acres of American farmland. The goal of China’s Communist Party authorities suggest specific strategies to invest in agriculture overseas and to gain greater control over oilseed and grain products, to create policies to support facilities, equipment and inputs for agricultural production, and to create large multinational grain-trading conglomerates. The revenues from these productions do not pass through the American commodities markets but, rather, flow through the foreign entities' own distribution channels, directly to the home country. As these conglomerates grow, and with the purchase of more American farmlands, China may not need to negotiate a trade policy with future administrations, as it will own its own agricultural conglomerates and distribution channels. This is precisely how the Japanese car market penetrated the American automobile market in years past, buying up American distribution channels as a means of moving their vehicles through the American economy.
As small and medium farmers struggle to hold on to their farmlands, they are an easy target for foreign investors. It will behoove state governments to begin evaluating their state regulations regarding the purchase of foreign purchased agricultural lands. By example, Iowa allows no foreign ownership of agricultural lands in its state. It will also benefit states to consider measures to support the small- and medium-sized farmer, rather than giving way to corporate farm organizations that hold profit above the spirit of farming and land conservation. Surely, there are bi-partisan measures that can be undertaken to support an industry that is the food source for our country.
So what can be done? One important measure is to create an agricultural policy "think tank" with the small- to medium-sized farmer squarely in focus to undertake long-term planning for agriculture in the state of Michigan. Just as we do city and county planning and zoning, we should consider agricultural planning to assure the growth and survival for the smaller farmers in this country.
Another is to consider a concept similar to lobbyists prevalent in governmental structure. The American small farmer is not necessarily a good salesperson for himself/herself, and our government does not appear to understand the science or the marketing of agriculture. It would be similar to selling a complex pharmaceutical product with no product knowledge. How do we expect our elected officials to negotiate good trade deals with limited knowledge of the agricultural community? Better communication is needed from farm to government, to ‘sell’ the importance of an agricultural economy to our country’s leaders.
Deborah J. Comstock is a farmer in Adrian.


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The weekend can’t get better. This morning, Singaporeans were treated to some good news when it was announced on several Singaporean news outlets that Pokémon Go is now available for download in this part of the world.
Since Pokémon Go was first launched on July 6th, Singaporeans have been looking forward to the day the app would be made available in Singapore.
A major false alarm had the Internet in a tizzy when the app was rumored to be available in Singapore on July 15th. At Straatosphere, we were so beside ourselves with excitement that we even compiled a list of essential tips for Pokémon Go players in Singapore.
Alas, the rumors were proven to be just that – rumors, and the app was not launched on July 15th.
More bad news followed as the Singapore Government talked about wanting to regulate Pokémon Go, to which Razer CEO, Tan Min-Liang, responded by saying “there’s no point over-regulating in an industry you know nothing about”. Burn.
Well, today, we can finally put all those pre-Pokémon Go days behind us. Pokémon Go is here, and we hope it’s here to stay.
What are your thoughts on Pokémon Go in Singapore? Sound off in the comments section below.
Read More: 5 Pokémon Go Offshoot Products You Must Own


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The MCX merchant consortium, which is gearing up to launch a mobile-wallet platform and bar-code based mobile-payment services in the U.S. has named the former head of mobile commerce for Barclaycard US as CEO, following a long search.
As Google readies the launch of the next version of its wallet, expected to feature the addition of a physical payment card, other mobile-commerce players, including Google Wallet partner Sprint, are gearing up with their own offers.
Retail giants Wal-Mart Stores and Target Corp. are part of a group of merchants looking at developing its own mobile wallet or payment service, though few details are available, The Wall Street Journal reported today.
U.S.-based Broadcom did not mention NFC in its recent conference call with analysts following release of its second quarter results, in which it announced cuts to its global workforce of 20% by exiting the baseband mobile processor business.
Transport for London today announced it would launch acceptance for open-loop bank cards and other contactless payment on its heavily traveled London Underground and other modes of transit in September, while the UK’s largest mobile operator, EE, announced customers could begin to tap their NFC phones to pay fares at the same time.
NXP Semiconductors said sales in its emerging ID business–mainly made up of its NFC chips–increased by 22% in the second quarter, compared with the first quarter, and CEO Richard Clemmer insisted the chip maker’s secure element business would continue to remain a strong contributor.
Germany’s third largest mobile operator, E-Plus, has launched NFC payments with a prepaid wallet card, joining other German telcos, which have also launched prepaid payments applications on their SIM cards.
As the Hungarian Mobile Wallet Association prepares to enable its members to commercially launch NFC mobile payments, it has released the results of its 12-month NFC payments and loyalty pilot along with a survey of users.
France-based telco Orange and Air France, along with airline industry and information technology services provider SITA have launched a trial of an NFC boarding pass application for the airline’s route from Toulouse to Paris, and SITA is also piloting Bluetooth low energy beacons at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.


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If you ever wanted to ride a 3D or VR Tesla-themed roller coaster, this killer new video the electric car manufacturer released yesterday on their official YouTube channel is as close as it gets.
The 2-minute clip whisks us right through the heart of the swanky new Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, guided by what’s gotta be one of the best drone pilots out there. The pilot isn’t personally named but the company responsible is Skynamic, a drone company that just posted Elon Musk’s wacky new dance video with a drone.
Skynamic tweeted that clip out for those brave of heart enough to watch the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s awkward moves.
The video opens with footage of parked Tesla vehicles, then the drone swoops through a door to the factory. The camera squeezes through tight assembly lines, expertly waiting for robotic arms to move out of the way before continuing. Viewers see the entire assembly process and footage of finished cars before the drone streaks out of the building.
Seeing the factory come to life must be relieving for Musk, who recently faced more than 400 complaints from locals who weren’t happy about their new neighbor. Some Germans even protested its opening.
But the show goes on. According to digital pub Green Car Reports, Tesla began delivering finished cars in March earlier this year.
Whether you’re a Tesla stan or not, give this video a watch. Big ups to the team who filmed it — you’d give Luke Skywalker a run for his money.


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General Motors said Monday that it is suspending its quarterly dividend and stock buybacks to preserve cash during the coronavirus pandemic.
JEFF KOWALSKY | AFP | Getty Images
General Motors is taking steps to shore up its balance sheet as the coronavirus keeps plants shuttered and auto sales depressed, the company said Thursday.
The company is issuing senior unsecured fixed rate notes with the target amount in the low billions, according to a person familiar with the plans who requested anonymity because details have not been made public.
GM declined to comment on the offering other than saying the proceeds will be used for “general corporate purposes.” Deutsche Bank Securities, which is managing the offering, did not immediately respond for comment.
Shares of GM were up 2.4% during morning trading to $22.41. The stock is down 39.3% in 2020 as the coronavirus has devastated vehicle sales and shuttered auto plants.
Preliminary documents for the bond offering were filed with the SEC on Thursday, a day after the automaker reported a first quarter profit of $294 million.
GM had available liquidity of $33.4 billion to end the first quarter. That includes cash, cash equivalents, marketable debt securities and funds available under credit facilities for its automotive operations.
The offering follows several other actions the automaker has taken to save cash and bolster its balance sheet.
GM last week suspended its quarterly dividend and share repurchase program. It also extended $3.6 billion under its three-year revolving credit agreement to April 2022.
In March, GM drew down $16 billion from its revolving credit facilities to strengthen its cash positions. It also disclosed last month that it signed a 364-day revolving credit agreement of $1.95 billion for exclusive use by GM Financial, the company’s auto lending arm.


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A college student is helping elderly people in her California neighborhood who are stuck at home to avoid getting infected with the coronavirus by delivering needed goods for free and at least one describes Alex Dewey as an “angel.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Dewey, who is a student at College of Marin, and her volunteer business, inspired by a notice on Nextdoor, an online social network that connects neighbors:
Mary Aversano’s doctors told her two years ago that she had about a year left to live. Her cancer is metastatic, spread from the uterus to the liver and lungs. Still, at 76, the San Rafael woman is mobile enough to get out of the house a few times a week — “It’s a rotten disease,” she said, “but I’m not going to let it get me” — and she did her own grocery shopping until recently, when the new coronavirus began to spread.
She worried she would catch the virus in a store, exposing herself and possibly her husband, who suffers from chronic heart disease. Her fears increased as the news worsened, and she considered herself luckier than friends who were more housebound or lived by themselves: “There are people out there alone and scared and disabled.”
Aversano was reluctant to accept, not wanting to seem needy, but she got over that sensation.
“You know what, you old broad,” Aversano said, “suck it up and let somebody help.”
Turns out about a dozen other people decided to take Dewey up on her offer and about 30 young people offered to help her if she needed backup.
“Right now, it’s stuff that I can do easily,” Dewey, 21, said in the Chronicle article.
Dewey is studying business administration and economics at the college, which, like all other schools in California, is closed in the wake of the coronivirus.
Dewey told the Chronicle that she made her offer on Nextdoor when thinking about her grandparents, who live in the hard-hit Seattle area and have health issues.
“They’re from the generation where they don’t like to lean on anyone,” Dewey said.
On Monday — the same day six bay area counties announced a shelter-in-place order that would take effect at midnight — Dewey and her mother went to several stores and got what they could for the people on their list, but many stores had empty shelves.
The Chronicle reported:
The night’s fourth and last delivery was to Aversano. By the time Dewey arrived at Aversano’s house on a quiet street in San Rafael, it was 8 p.m. and dark out. The porch light was on, and Aversano emerged, wearing dark glasses and a pink pullover.
“Oh my god,” Aversano said, thanking Dewey for a bag of brown sugar, maple syrup, and her favorite yogurt.
Dewey said she hopes to somehow expand her services.
“It’s clear that there’s this need for it,” she said. “And more people are doing it.”
And her customers appreciate Dewy’s kindness.
Dewey, Aversano said, “was like an angel at my door.”


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‘Not a lot of experimenting going on’: Ad buyers cut back on ad format experimentation
Publishers that were hoping to talk advertisers into trying out new ad formats at the end of the year are having a rough go of it.
Facing pressure to drive results with their spending and struggling with limited creative resources and time, advertisers with brand spending goals have been hesitant to try out new, unproven ad formats that might rely on non-standard creative elements or are sold using unfamiliar metrics, increasingly gravitating toward those they know will work and that they can easily plug into their existing media mix models, media agency and sell-side sources say.
While that doesn’t mean spending on new formats has dropped to zero, it does mean that publishers hoping to increase the size of their ad deals at year’s end have to make it even easier for brands to try things out. The advertisers’ reticence is one more challenge that coronavirus has created for publishers’ businesses, but it has also pushed them closer to goals many of them had set for themselves over the long term, such as selling ad formats that leverage their first party data, or having more control over the ads’ creative process.
“There’s not much experimenting happening now,” said the revenue leader at one large digital publisher, who asked not to be identified. That source noted that, over the past few months, fewer clients have expressed interest in trying new ad networks, or trying to target a new “‘just to see how it goes.’
What these clients need are flexibility, efficiency and scale,” that executive added. “The partners that can deliver on that are well-positioned.”
For most of this year, the economic and cultural havoc wrought by coronavirus has forced marketers to prove their ad spending works. That has squeezed publishers’ branded content businesses, forced ad sellers to think about campaigns that can be executed in days, rather than months, and made it much harder for publishers to win new business.
Many advertisers have spent the past several months operating on compressed schedules because they cannot do long-term planning, said Erik Requidan, the cofounder of the site monetization services consultancy Media Tradecraft. And those that had to get rid of a lot of creative assets that were inappropriate during the pandemic do not have the time or resources to build things that might have to fit into a non-standard unit.
“It has to be simple,” Requidan said. “It can not be complex.”
The pressure has also compelled some brands to reallocate their budgets, taking money that might have been spent on experiments in a normal year and putting it into something that drives sales. Those experimental ad formats, quite often, are designed to solve for branding objectives, rather than direct response objectives, said Anthony Rinaldi, vp of media activation at the media agency Essence. “If budgets are going to get cut, it’s from branding efforts,” Rinaldi said.
Publishers with new units that can deliver performance have been somewhat less affected by marketers’ changing appetites. “There’s a shift to more performance-driven versus experimental brand-driven,” said Jeffrey Turner, director and head of commercial product at the Washington Post. “We’re relying less on distinctly styled ad formats.
“Most of the dollars are going to things that we have data and support to know that it’s going to perform versus throwing paint on a wall,” Turner said, adding that 60% of the insertion orders Turner’s team has gotten have leveraged the Post’s first party data.
Other sell-side people are hoping that some combination of ease and familiarity can help coax buyers into trying something new.
For example, the mobile ad vendor Kargo recently launched AMP versions of some of its most performant, effective ad units. And Tuesday, Vox Media announced it was launching a self-serve ad manager for its ad networks Concert and Concert Local.
“The buyers are in the business of making money too,” Requidan said. “They have to find ways that make sense for them.”
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BuzzFeed is testing to see if user-generated content could identify new areas of coverage for its staff, and bring in niche audiences, with a new summer program that could pay a contributor up to $10,000 for a viral post.


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I am no fan of Measure U, the voter-approved sales tax that went into effect in April. New taxes are rarely the answer to economic malaise.
As demand increases for U.S. products in China, government leaders in the Capital Region and across the country are making a push to foster connections between small, local businesses and the world’s fastest growing consumer market.
Among the many risks involved in commercial real estate lending today, energy risk is so poorly understood that lenders simply do not have the tools they need to measure it. This ignorance of energy risk — the likelihood that higher energy costs compromise a building owner’s ability to make their mortgage payments — leads to inflated loans. This is because both efficient and inefficient buildings are judged the same in the eyes of the lender. But UC Berkeley researchers have developed a tool they claim would measure the net benefit of energy savings investments.
Banks are running up against some odd new competitors these days. Big box retailer Costco is advertising mortgages. Wal-Mart has issued its own debit card. Amazon is offering loans to merchants in its online marketplace.
“Small Market, Big Heart” tells the story of the Sacramento Kings and their fans’ fight to hold onto the team. But the 80-minute documentary — packed with NBA archive footage and interviews with Kings’ executives, local politicians and sports entertainment personalities — isn’t from the NBA offices or an established production company.
Congratulations Sacramento. You finally got the economic recovery you’ve been asking for.
It’s not as big or fast as you had wished for, but give it time. It should get stronger as we move toward 2014.
On a morning in April, eight representatives of local banks and credit unions walked into the Sacramento Metro Chamber headquarters to discuss the region’s lousy credit situation.
When Dr. Dena Davidson graduated from the UC Berkeley School of Optometry in 1995, she thought her income expectations were pretty reasonable.
Joining the 1 percent really isn’t that difficult.
Jeff Michael, 42, is the director of the Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific.


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Sigma Corporation Founder and CEO Michihiro Yamaki Passes
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Sigma Corporation has announced that its founder and CEO, Michihiro Yamaki, age 78, has passed away:
Announcement of the death of Michihiro Yamaki, CEO
We regret to announce that the founder and CEO of Sigma Corporation, Michihiro Yamaki passed away at 1:53am on January 18th, 2012.
We would like to sincerely express our deep gratitude for your generous support for him till this day.
Posted: 1/27/2012 9:52:08 AM CT Posted By: Bryan


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Concordia International Corp. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CXRX) (TSX: CXR) – together with its subsidiaries (“Concordia”), an international specialty pharmaceutical company focused on generic and legacy pharmaceutical products has announced that RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (RedHill) (NASDAQ: RDHL) (TASE: RDHL), a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has started promoting Donnatal® in certain U.S. territories.
Concordia and RedHill originally announced this co-promotion agreement in January 2017 for Donnatal®, Concordia’s product used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.
“We are excited that RedHill is moving forward with its promotion of Donnatal® to potential prescribers in the U.S.,” said Allan Oberman, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “We believe this cost-effective partnership can leverage RedHill’s experienced team in gastroenterology sales, raise the product’s profile, and potentially allow Donnatal® to reach more patients.”
Under the terms of the co-promotion agreement, RedHill will incur the sales and marketing costs associated with promotional activities for Donnatal®, while Concordia will provide materials and samples. Concordia will keep all revenue up to a predetermined level of sales. Only after reaching that predetermined level will revenue be shared between Concordia and RedHill.


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Oxford Business College has been named a finalist of the prestigious Growing Business Awards in the Growing Business of the Year: Mid-sized Company (turnover £25-£45M) category.
The 26th annual Growing Business Awards are the most credible and highly valued recognition of businesses transformed by exceptional growth. This year’s awards celebrate fast-growing SMEs’ strength, vision and resilience.
Being a finalist in the Growing Business of the Year category adds to the college’s impressive accolades and notable recognitions, including driving innovation, creating wealth, and creating new jobs.
Commenting on this achievement, Dr Padmesh Gupta, Managing Director of Oxford Business College, said: “I am immensely proud that Oxford Business College is a finalist of the Growing Business Awards. For years, we have been relentless in our efforts to innovate, grow and create an impact on our economy and local community. It fills me with great pride to see our collective impact recognised.”
The full list of finalists can be found here. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Wednesday, 29th November, at the Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, London.


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Dhaka, 02 March, 2019: The excessive use of Single Use of Plastic may bring a catastrophic scenario in Bangladesh very soon. With a view to encourage mass people to quit single use plastic, Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO has organized a day long mobile Campaign on 2nd March in different important place in Dhaka. The campaigner took stand in front of National Assembly, Dhaka University Teacher-students Center (TSC), Gulshan DNCC market and Gulshan Circle 2.
Single-use plastics or disposable plastics are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Single use plastic includes drinking straws, Plastic cotton buds, Sachets, food packaging, coffee stirrers, water bottles and plastic bags etc. The main problem with these single use plastics is they are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable. They slowly break down into smaller fragments known as microplastics. In the process of breaking down, it releases toxic chemicals which enter into our food chain and water supply. These toxic chemicals are now being found in our bloodstream. And the latest research has linked them to cancer, infertility, birth defects, impaired immunity and many other ailments.
ESDO Team started their campaign from TSC, Dhaka University in the morning. Concern students from Dhaka University and mass people join on the campaign. Tamjid Ahmed, student of Dhaka University said, “Single use plastic is a curse for our environment. They have severe effects on our respiratory, nervous system and also in reproductive systems. To protect our environment Govt. should take immediate action against it.” The campaign moved towards Gulshan DNCC market at noon. Abdul Jabbar, a fruit seller in DNCC market said, “We don’t want to use Single Use of Plastic, due to its cost efficiency we are using it. But we urge to the Govt. to introduce its alternatives to protect public health and environment.” On the Evening Campaign moved in front of National Parliament. Mr. Raihan Ali, an engineer came to visit along with his family said, “The initiative of ESDO to create awareness against Single Use Plastic is highly appreciable. Even over here you can see sachets, wrappers, straw etc are here and there all around. Our Govt. should introduce law against Single Use Plastic to save our future generation.”
From the initial survey conducted by ESDO, it is estimated that only from old town in Dhaka, around 250 tons of single use straws and plastics cutleries are being sold per month, in different parts of Bangladesh. It is estimated from ESDO study that with other sources around 312 tons single use plastics are being sold per month in all over Bangladesh. The amount was calculated through a questionnaire survey which was done both for whole sale manufacturer and retailers. Only from 5 straw and cutleries manufacturer companies, around 9 core 75 lak pieces of single use plastics are selling in each month in the form of straws and cutleries which weight is equivalence to 195 tons per month. On the other hand, from the 25 retailers, around 50 tons of single use plastics are produced in the same way in Chokbazar area. Among these single use plastics, approximately 80 to 85% are discarded waste which end point is in the drain, river or ocean and this are creating massive pollution in the nearby rivers and at the end in the Bay of Bengal. In Bangladesh, Chakbazar old town is the only area from where they are whole sells plastic straws and cutleries all over in Bangladesh.
Single use plastic contains various polymers like in food packaging film they contains Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Cutlery, plates and cups contains polystyrene (PS), Hot drink cups, insulated food
Packaging contains Expanded polystyrene (EPS), a Microwave dish, ice cream tubs, potato chip bags, bottle caps contains Polycarbonate polypropylene (PP). Foamed plastic contains styrene and Benzene which are toxic and carcinogenic.
There are so many countries all over the world have taken initiatives to Ban or reduce the consumption of Single-Use Plastics. Costa Rica now aims to become the first country in the world to ban all kinds of single-use plastics by 2021. In Vancouver of Canada, Great Britain, Sikinos island of Greece, New Delhi of India, Guatemala, Glasgow of Scotland, Taiwan, European Union, Switzerland and some states of America took strong initiatives for banning plastic straws immediately. Bangladesh also should come forward to stop the use of this Single use plastic for saving the nature and environment.
To stop this pollution, we can think about alternatives. Environmentally more friendly alternatives of plastic straws as for example Bamboo straws, Glass straws, Metal straws, Stainless Steel Straws and Paper straws could be the better options in this situation.


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Ottawa small business out $70,000 of personal protective equipment after suspected fraud
OTTAWA -- An Ottawa small business says they are out $70,000 worth of personal protective equipment as a result of what appears to be fraud.
Orleans Janitorial Supplies sold an order of gloves totalling $99,971 to what they thought was the Gatineau Hospital. It turns out it wasn’t.
The order was picked up but what appeared to be a certified cheque to pay for it was fake.
Company manager Micheal Bullard says when owner Andrew Bascoe took the cheque to his local bank the bank told him it “wasn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”
Bascoe contacted the Ottawa police immediately and filed a police report. Police confirm to CTV News Ottawa that a complaint has been received and is being investigated by the Fraud Unit. The Gatineau Hospital also tells CTV News Ottawa that they have never done business with Orleans Janitorial Supplies.
“I’m going to be totally honest with you, it could break us,” Bullard tells CTV News Ottawa.
He says he spent a week e-mailing back and forth, and the sale seemed to be normal.
“In my mind, if it was a scam, he would’ve accepted our prices immediately but it was a back and forth negotiation,” he recalls.
“This individual described himself as the accountant for the Hull-Gatineau hospital and he asked us to provide them with a price for the gloves that they needed. He stated that he wasn’t able to get them anywhere else because most suppliers were out,” says Bullard.
It wasn’t until Bascoe took the cheque to the bank that he found out he could be out tens of thousands of dollars, “I think the teller was actually stunned themselves,” says Bascoe. “A small guy losing $70,000, that’s a big chunk.”
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says businesses are frequently targeted with what they call “sale of merchandise” scams.
“Typically in these scams, the business receives a fraud payment either in the form of a counterfeit financial instrument or often times with stolen of compromised credit cards (a.k.a. card-not-present fraud) or, even in some cases, the orders are made using purchase orders which never get paid at all,” a Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre spokesperson says.
The RCMP told CTV News on Tuesday that, as of Oct. 31, more than six million dollars has been lost nationwide due to COVID-19 related fraud.
"Since COVID-19 began, fraud reports have increased by 29 per cent as of Oct. 31. Fraudsters continue to exploit the COVID-19 outbreak by preying on people's insecurities," the Mounties said in an email. "Between March 6, 2020 and Oct. 31, 2020, there have been 6,836 Canadian reports of COVID-19 fraud, with 5,411 Canadian victims and over $6.6 million lost to COVID-19 fraud."
Orleans Janitorial Supplies has reached out to its insurance company, but they are unsure if this is covered. Bullard is sharing the story as a warning to other small businesses,
“I would just ask them, 'why did you contact a smaller mom and pop store like this?'”
Learn more about COVID-19 related scams at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/features-vedette/2020/covid-19-eng.htm


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Matalan has appointed retail veteran Nigel Oddy as chief executive on an interim basis, while founder and chair John Hargreaves is to step down.
Oddy, who previously held the top job at fellow fashion retailer New Look, and has also led businesses such as The Range and House of Fraser, will join the business from October 3.
Matalan said that his role will be to drive the current growth strategy of the brand, build up its omnichannel capabilities and reposition the brand as a whole.
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New Delhi, April 10: India’s no. 1 off-road racer, CS Santosh was on Wednesday announced the brand ambassador of a luxury Swiss brand.
Favre-Leuba is the second oldest luxury Swiss watch brand. Santosh was named the brand ambassador for Favre-Leuba’s Raider Sea Sky timepieces.
“I consider this to be a very exciting collaboration and their belief of breaking new barriers aligns very well with my personal mantra in life,” Santosh said in a statement.
Australia Tour Of Bangladesh 2020 Postponed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Australia tour of Bangladesh in June 2020 has been postponed indefinitely amid the novel COVID-19 or coronavirus outbreak. In this tour, they had the schedule to play a two-match Test series. According to the FTP schedule, Bangladesh had to host a two-match Test series against…
Aditi Rao Hydari Names Sachin Tendulkar As Her Favourite Cricketer
The legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is the all-time favourite cricketer for Indians. His contribution to the Indian team and cricket history is unforgettable. The Bollywood actress Aditi Rao Hydari has also revealed that Sachin is his favourite cricketer. Well, there is a long list of…


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Courtesy: Big Blue Swim School
NEW YORK — Big Blue Swim School, one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises, is coming to Fairfield, Westchester County and Nassau County, through a new agreement for five pools throughout the New York and Connecticut area. That means children and parents in the area will soon enjoy the innovative swim school experience that makes Big Blue one of the most exciting opportunities in franchising.
“What makes Big Blue so special to our franchise partners is that we are teaching children a vital life skill,” said Chris DeJong, Big Blue’s Founder and President. “With our proven and differentiated swim school model, we look forward to the opportunity to provide families throughout the New York and Connecticut communities with a special learn-to-swim experience.”
Since opening its first pool in 2009, Big Blue has changed the way swim lessons are taught. “Everything we do is focused on showing kids they can achieve anything through the magic of weekly swim lessons,” said DeJong. “Big Blue is a mission-driven business focused on creating big, life-changing moments for kids and families. This mission drives every operation at Big Blue.”
This five-unit expansion is the most recent signing for Big Blue, which is on an impressive growth trajectory despite the pandemic. In addition to opening a location in Fairfield, two locations in Westchester and two on Long Island, three additional territories on Long Island are available for another franchise partner to develop.
“2020 has been a challenging year, but Big Blue continues to sign deals because we learned how to adjust our Dive-in Days to be safe and socially distanced,” said CEO Scott Sanders. “For franchise brands, it’s more important now more than ever to focus on what makes your brand unique.”
Big Blue Swim School takes the unique approach of hiring exclusively full-time, highly trained swim associates, differentiating them from most swim schools, which typically rely on part-time employees. Because full-time professionals are more easily retained, turnover is very low, which helps maintain consistency and encourages children to build trust with their instructors.
Big Blue has also found an edge on its competition by offering heightened flexibility in scheduling, making swim lessons substantially easier for parents. “All of our pools have room for progress immediately when kids are ready and families can schedule multiple kids of various levels and ages to swim all at the same time,” said DeJong. “Our proprietary software eliminates the challenges families can have when scheduling and rescheduling lessons for their family.”
For franchise partners, Big Blue delivers numerous differentiators, including LessonBuddy™, a proprietary enterprise system which allows partners to manage the business remotely. Other services provided to Big Blue franchise partners include data-driven site selection, construction, technology, and marketing. “When our franchise partners open, they are given the tools they need to scale quickly,” said DeJong. “In addition, Big Blue’s business model is recession-resistant, because swim lessons fill a vital need for water safety and cannot be replaced by an online offering. Unlike other hard goods retail franchises, swim lessons are impervious to Amazon.”
Big Blue has already signed 120 units in 20 states across the country and with an aggressive growth plan, the franchise aims to reach 150 units by 2021, positioning the brand as a leader in the $3 billion learn-to-swim industry.
ABOUT BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL
Big Blue Swim School was founded in 2009 by competitive swimmer Chris DeJong. The first location opened in Wilmette, Illinois, followed by four additional Chicagoland schools. In 2017, Level 5 Capital Partners acquired a stake in the brand. Through that investment, Big Blue plans to grow through franchising to 150 pools by 2021. Big Blue Swim School’s real estate expertise, strong brand, proprietary technology, and leadership support, coupled with its best-in-class consumer offerings, position its franchise partners for long-term success. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Big Blue Swim School, visit http://YourBigMomentStartsHere.com.
Big Blue Swim School is a SwimSwam Partner.


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“We’ve cut the cords so fitness enthusiasts have less in the way of achieving the perfect workout,” said Daniel DeVille, Director of Marketing for yurbuds. “We are excited to deliver wireless earphones that solve the needs not met by other earphones."
(PRWEB) January 04, 2014
yurbuds®, the #1 selling sport earphone company in the United States, is transforming the athlete experience with its new Inspire Limited Edition Wireless earphones. Launching at CES 2014 in Las Vegas this January, athletes and tech enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the first-ever Stereo-Bluetooth® wireless earphones guaranteed to never hurt and never fall out.
While designing the new Wireless product, yurbuds gathered consumer feedback. Responses helped the team to understand what user needs were not being met by current stereo wireless solutions. The development of the Inspire Limited Edition Wireless addresses the three key issues uncovered, including existing solutions hurt, they fall out and they do not provide optimal sound.
“We’ve cut the cords so fitness enthusiasts have less in the way of achieving the perfect workout,” said Daniel DeVille, Director of Marketing for yurbuds. “Designed based on user feedback, we are excited to deliver best-in-class wireless earphones that solve the needs not currently met by other wireless earphones and meet the rigorous standards of even the top professional athletes.”
With 15mm drivers, the Inspire Limited Edition Wireless Sport Earphones more than double the driver size of many other stereo wireless earphones. This means bigger and better sound, while allowing for best-in-class comfort and fit with yurbuds ergonomic TwistLock design. They are sweat resistant and also come with a lifetime warranty. Seamlessly integrating volume, track and call control, the noise cancelling dual-microphone system also allows for optimal response during calls.
yurbuds was founded in 2008 by Seth Burgett, President and CEO, an active triathlete and Richard Daniels, COO, a 24-time marathoner. Burgett and Daniels left their corporate roles and joined forces to improve personal performance. They have been joined by Craig Ceranna, CFO and Managing Director, to realize the company's mission: transform the athlete’s experience through personalized service and exceptional audio products that integrate ergonomics and emotive design.
As a company, yurbuds was recently honored by the 2013 International CEA Innovations Design and Engineering Awards for the Focus Limited Edition. yurbuds has also been awarded for its marketing, including a 2011 “Site of the Day” for Awwwards.com and a 2010 GOOD DESIGN AWARD. Forbes also named yurbuds the 9th Most Promising Company in America for 2009.


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Legal pressure on the online classifieds company has mounted for years as attorneys general claimed that the company provided a forum for prostitution ads. In May 2009, Craigslist removed the erotic services category from its U.S.-location sites, although it kept the category in other parts of the world.
Clearly Craigslist wanted to keep the listings, as it was one of the categories in which posters paid and helped underwrite the many that are free. A common complaint by district attorneys is that the adult services frequently involve minors and human trafficking. But, really, are the DAs and AGs going to pretend that the same ads, or worse, don't appear in alternative weeklies, in newspapers, and other local outlets? When questioned on NPR about the sole focus on Craigslist, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster replied as follows:
I think that's a legitimate criticism of the situation. We are focused on Craigslist at this point because it is the biggest and most frequently visited of these types of sites.Craigslist is not a local business that gets revenue and that probably supports someone or other for political offices, both in contributions and in endorsements. It is the business from out of town that allows these office holders to portray themselves as crusaders without paying a price for looking uncomfortably close to home.
Craigslist is not the only high tech company facing potential hassle. Google (GOOG) has raised many concerns over regulatory compliance of various sorts. But now Texas has opened an inquiry into the company's search services. Google tried to link the inquiry to Microsoft (MSFT). There is evidence that Microsoft is trying to use regulation as a competitive weapon, but a bigger danger for both companies, and others, exists.
Remember the huge multi-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry? The cigarette companies paid billions and the states lapped up the cash, and then often used it to cover other state expenditures. The money from the suit became a funding mechanism. High tech companies, collectively with many tens of billions of dollars in banks, represent the same. You can expect countries, states, cities, and any other governmental body capable of hiring lawyers, to consider whether, during tight times, big out-of-state tech companies that have historically been sloppy about regulatory compliance might not provide a financial lifeline.
- Intel Gets the Antitrust Silicon Slab Slam by the FTC
- Why Federal Civil Fines Can't Deter Tech Companies like HP
- Intel Antitrust Chickens Home to Roost, Though Not Completely Fairly
- Apple Brings in Lawyers that Know Regulatory Heat


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Today MediaTek’s official Weibo released news, reviewing the characteristics of the Dimensity 1200 flagship chip. This open platform supports deep customization with manufacturers, is manufactured using TSMC’s 6nm process, and has MediaTek 5G UltraSave power-saving technology. Currently, Dimensity 1200 chip has AI, Ultra, Max suffix versions. MediaTek said that the Vivo S12 series of mobile phones will be launched at the end of December 2021, and will be equipped with a customized Dimensity 1200 chip.
The Vivo S12 series will include at least two versions, the standard version, and the S12 Pro. The whistleblower said that the internal code name of the mobile phone is “Superman” and it focuses on portrait photography. It can be seen from the exposed mobile phone renderings that this product will be equipped with a front dual camera and is expected to have a front-fill light.
The Vivo S12 Pro will be equipped with an FHD+ Weiqu high-brush OLED screen on the front, a 50MP dual camera on the front, and a 108MP triple camera on the rear. The pricing of mobile phones is expected to be above 3,000 yuan.


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WRITTEN BY Tina ON July 17, 2015
You will never know when Apple plans to release its next iPhone models. When we all think that iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are the only two models released this year, rumor has it that Foxconn has recruited a large number of employees for the production of the new iPhone. And three new iPhone models will be released in September this year although it is unclear about what the exact models might be. It is said that a 4-inch iPhone 6c is coming with the well-known iPhone 6s.
It seems that Apple is more likely to release two new iPhone models this year judging from all the rumors reported. But it is reported that Foxconn employed a large number of workers to prepare for the production of the three new iPhone. It can be sure that iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and the so called 4-inch iPhone 6c would be the new models of iPhone. The Taiwan Press reported that all three devices will be equipped with LTPS panels, which is denied by Ming-Chi Kuo, who on the other hand believes that iPhone 6c will not be released until the first quarter of next year.
Nevertheless, it is possible that Apple is going to unveil this new 4-inch iPhone 6c this year. It is important to note that the new 4-inch iPhone is more than just the updated version of iPhone 5c. Jefferies claims in his analyses that the iPhone 6c will have a 4-inch screen and will come with a strong metal casing, manufactured by Wistron. Foxconn also takes part in the production of the casing of iPhone 6c. But the release date mentioned in Jefferies’s report is different from that of the recently reported rumors.
There are different kinds of stories about the release date of iPhone 6c including the possibility that what Foxconn produces now are exactly the casing of the new iPhone. But no one can tell when Apple is going to unveil the new iPhone, perhaps all three models will be released at the same time. And the 4-inch new iPhone will be more fantastic than we can imagine.
It reported that iPhone 6c will also be equipped with 4-inch screen, and will also has NFC chips built in, Touch ID and A8 processor instead of A9 processor used in iPhone 6s. Besides, being the key of the success of this new device, the prices of iPhone 6c is going to be around 400$to 500$, which equals to 2500~3100 CNY.


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The past few months have seen considerable speculation about Google’s intentions with wireless service. They have had an active posture concerning the 700 Mhz wireless auction, wanting to set favorable conditions for their participation. Not everyone agrees with their wireless auction position, just ask Steve Largent, president of CTIA. The latest news is they are shopping a Google branded wireless handset to several wireless carriers, including Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile. Everyone is wondering whether Google intends to become their own wireless service provider, or just looking to extend their brand and value proposition into wireless with partners.
It’s inevitable that Google will have a stake in wireless. Like everyone else, they recognize that mobile and portable wireless is the next frontier for the Internet. Google wants to be just as successful with wireless Internet as they have been with the traditional web. Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, has said in the past that they view wireless ad placement as more profitable than their fabulously successful existing models. On the surface, it appears that Google becoming its own service provider is unlikely. It would cost billions, but more importantly, would take too long. What is probably more likely is Google working feverishly to develop wireless applications that exploit their search and ad placement technologies and partnering with existing service providers – somewhat analogous to what Apple and AT&T are doing with the iPhone. Such a relationship may be a little more difficult for Google because their potential wireless service provider partners are also hoping to exploit mobile wireless ad placement for themselves. But I suspect, those issues will work themselves out. The Google brand and cache are probably too enticing for everyone to pass up. The recent partnership with Sprint for WiMAX applications may be an early indicator of their intentions. The wireless future will certainly see Google, and in a big way.


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The ‘game-changing’ Woolworths hack heading to ALL stores – and it will slash the time of your grocery shop
- Woolworths shoppers are marvelling over a ‘game changing’ hack
- On TikTok Queenie Tan, from Sydney, shared how to use the Scan & Go feature
- This allows customers to shop as they go by scanning barcodes using a phone
- Once finished, customers don’t need to line up and simply scan a QR code
- Currently the service is only available at limited Woolworths stores
A video helping shoppers save time on their trips to Woolworths has taken the internet by storm.
Sydney finance guru Queenie Tan, 25, tried the supermarket’s new Scan & Go feature, which allows customers to scan their items as they shop and avoid lining up in long checkout queues.
In the short clip she demonstrated how it works and dubbed the new technology ‘life-changing’.
The supermarket giant has started offering the new service across 49 store locations around Australia, and will likely expand the scheme even further.
Scroll down for video
Queenie Tan, from Sydney, (pictured) shared a now-viral video on TikTok detailing how to use the new Woolworths Scan & Go feature on the Wooloworths app
‘Just open the Woolworths app and click on settings [then] Scan & Go,’ she said. The feature involved scanning items as you shop to avoid waiting in long checkout queues
‘You need to try this Woolies hack!’ Queenie said in a short clip.
‘Just open the Woolworths app and click on settings [then] Scan & Go.’
In the video, Queenie can be seen browsing the aisles and shopping for desired goods, explaining how once the item is scanned it can be placed in your bag.
‘You will see how much it will cost and how many items you have,’ Queenie said, adding: ‘I don’t have to be shocked at the counter anymore!’
To scan fruit and vegetables that don’t have a barcode, simply place the item on the scale then scan the barcode that pops up.
‘The scale atomically knows what [food] it is. It’s like magic,’ Queenie joked.
‘When you’re done shopping you can head to the Scan & Go counter and the best part is there’s no line and your food is already in your shopping bags.
‘So all you need to do is pay and leave!’
To scan fruit and vegetables that don’t have a barcode, simply place the item on the scale then scan the barcode(left). ‘When you’re done shopping you can head to the Scan & Go counter and the best part is there’s no line and your food is already in your shopping bags,’ Queenie said (right)
At the moment the new feature isn’t available at every Woolworths store, but it’s likely to be rolled out and incorporated in larger supermarket locations.
‘Scan&Go is the faster, smarter way to shop for your groceries at Woolworths, available at 49 stores across Australia,’ a Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
As Woolworths opens new stores and renew existing stores, Scan&Go will be considered part of the mix.
Queenie’s video has since been viewed more than 700,000 times, with many wanting to try the technology for themselves.
‘I was going to do this a while ago then totally forgot about it! Thanks for the reminder,’ one person wrote.
Another added: ‘That’s awesome’.


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Investor wants Disney to explore ESPN spinoff
Activist investor Dan Loeb’s Third Point LLC has bought a new stake in Disney and is "calling on the media company to buy the rest of Hulu, explore spinning off ESPN and refresh its board." A source said that Third Point’s "new stake consists of less than 1% of Disney’s shares outstanding," valued today at around $1B. Loeb thinks that "Disney’s streaming business -- and market conditions for companies in the space -- is in better shape than it was six months ago, and that the company’s goal of making Disney+ profitable by the end of fiscal 2024 is reasonable." A spinoff of ESPN -- a source of paying subscribers via ESPN+ -- "would radically alter Disney’s presence in the streaming ecosystem." This story was on the front page of today's WALL STREET JOURNAL (8/16).
Loeb’s outreach to Disney CEO Bob Chapek "will likely pressure the company to justify its costs and explain why ESPN should remain part of the entertainment giant." Loeb said that spinning off ESPN "would allow Disney to reduce" its $46B debt load, "much of it taken on with the 2019 acquisition of Fox Corp.’s entertainment assets." Sports are an "integral part of Disney’s TV operation, drawing viewers to its ABC network as well as ESPN and its paid online operation ESPN+." Loeb said that those relationships "could be preserved through contractual arrangements and that an independent sports operation could assume some Disney debt" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/15).


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Pearson Ford Ordered To Buy Back Over 1,500 Vehicles
San Diego judge has ordered a local car dealer to buy back more than 1,500 cars after the dealer was accused of manipulating contracts after car buyers signed the paperwork.
Rosner, Barry & Babbitt, LLP?s Auto Fraud Legal Center is pleased to announce the California Supreme Court has refused to review a trial court decision holding actions for rescission under .
The Gawker Media-owned car weblog Jalopnik asked readers to contribute the 10 most important questions to ask when buying a used car as part of their daily ?Answers of the Day? segment. The 10 best.
Proud Recipient of the San Diego
County Bar Association award
for 2007 Outstanding Public Service by a Law Firm
Peter Welch, president of the California Motor Car Dealers Association, says plaintiffs' attorney Hal Rosner has about every car dealer in the state scared silly.


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The logs show that the app has been briefly tested by a handful of people using what is almost certainly an iPhone 5, evidently running iOS 5, sporting two distinct sets of mobile network codes (MNC) / mobile country codes (MCC). Those codes can be used to uniquely identify mobile carriers.
Sure enough, some registrations for the app which the developer also asked not to be named were logged from a new Apple device, using the MNC/MCC codes from both Verizon and AT&T.
This would appear to confirm remarks made by Verizon CFO Fran Shammo in April.
"The fluctuation, I believe, will come when a new device from Apple is launched, whenever that may be, and that we will be, on the first time, on equal footing with our competitors on a new phone hitting the market, which will also be a global device."


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Twitter will find a way to make some money -- from you. "Licensing tweets to search engines for inclusion in their results pages is just the beginning. Expect to see full-on ad placements embedded in the tweet stream," says Aaron Goldman, managing partner at Connectual. "And subscription fees for corporate accounts with more robust features."
Twitter's likely to become a top referring source of traffic for sites and brands that leverage it properly. "But when you conduct traffic analysis, don't be surprised to see those Twitter-based referrals driving a very tiny number of conversions. Twitter is a great branding and awareness platform, but unlike SEO, paid search, email marketing or even direct type-in traffic, the focus isn't about making an action happen," says Rand Fishkin, CEO at SEOmoz. "You're being mentioned in a stream, which brings different opportunities. The companies who figure that out early and take advantage will be the ones who benefit most from Twitter traffic."
Search is a neglected research resource, says Goldman. "Heck, Google can predict flu outbreaks before the CDC. Using this treasure trove of data just to maximize ROI only from search is a sin."
In organic search, the expansion of universal search will require a universal approach to search engine optimization. "As Google, Yahoo and Bing continue to integrate social media into their results in addition to other digital content, marketers will need to evaluate search metrics to and from those channels as part of their integrated online strategy," says Stephen Anderson, svp of search for AMP Agency.
"Agencies and networks will compete more and more as behavioral targeting becomes table stakes for all optimized ad campaigns. The ones that can prove value with new and better measurement, such as attribution, will win in the end," says Emily Riley, senior analyst, Forrester Research
"Traditional display ad networks will scramble to add video offerings as advertisers demand greater effectiveness than standard banners can provide. As a result, video advertising will begin to standardize more of its ad products, performance metrics and rates," says Michael Mathieu, CEO, video ad platform and network YuMe.
As online video expands off the PC and starts also being consumed on TV and mobile screens, online video companies will roll out new business models that involve paid subscriptions and more robust advertising experiences," says Bobby Tulsiani, senior analyst, Forrester Research
Marketers will increasingly leverage custom video experiences, synched ad units, HD video, and interactive content to create a richer, more dynamic ad experience. "There is a greater strategic and monetary imperative for leveraging video and many of the pieces are in place -- demand, audience, bandwidth, serving platforms, and analytics -- to maximize digital video performance in 2010," says Jason Tafler, CEO of PointRoll.
"The most successful online video initiatives will require seamless mobile distribution, deep social web integration and interactivity -- all keys to successfully reaching dispersed and social audiences," says Gannon Hall, CEO, online and mobile video platform Kyte.
"With the explosion of content syndication online and with viewers controlling where and when they consume video content, marketers will need to shift how they approach
online video buying in order to achieve the reach, scale and price efficiencies they have grown accustomed to with TV," says Jayant Kadambi, co-founder, president, video ad network and
VivaKi's Pool findings will be announced in February, and this, coupled with the standardization around video ad-serving, formats and metrics, will accelerate online video's share of media spend, says Matt Wasserlauf, CEO of Web video company BBE.
People are watching more TV than ever -- they're just not watching it on the boob tube. How will you track all the places where your video has been posted, shared and even remixed? While the concept of reach isn't irrelevant, it's vastly different. The key, says Matt Cutler, VP of advertising for Visible Measures, an independent, third-party video measurement company, is to measure new classes of behavior, beyond downloads and streams. "You have to first identify all instances of your assets and their derivatives, then sum all the behavior across all of them in terms of the actual performance of the campaign," Cutler says.
Android is poised to explode. With 18 new devices planned for 2010, Google's mobile operating system will become a key channel for reaching the global audience. But the iPhone/iPod touch will remain the best platform for in-app advertising in the u.s., according to Krishna of mobile ad exchange Mobclix.
With Google spending $750 million to buy AdMob, don't be surprised if rival ad networks such as Quattro Wireless, Millennial Media and JumpTap get snapped up by other Web giants anxious about falling behind in mobile.
According to the AdMob Mobile Metrics Report, ad traffic on its network doubled year-over-year, to 10.2 billion ads served in September 2009. This explosive growth means you need to answer these questions: What are the right metrics for a mobile campaign? Are they the same as for online? And how do I combine mobile with other metrics in an integrated campaign.
While the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau released measurement guidelines in late 2007, the doh ad networks preferred their proprietary methodologies. But at the end of 2009, 11 of the largest networks completed third-party audience studies using the OVAB guidelines - giving agency partners the ability to compare their performance.
The latest in the if-you-can-you-should measurement arena is Millward Brown's Dynamic Logic, which released a study measuring the effectiveness of creative in banner ads. Its analysis of 170,000-odd executions found that the worst-performing ads could hurt other brand metrics. The study found that something as simple as branding every frame of an ad could increase awareness metrics.
All the fancy analytics apps in the world won't get you the insights you need, according to Judy Franks, a former Leo Burnett exec who is now principal of The Marketing Democracy and on the faculty of Northwestern University. The problem is, the media landscape moves a lot faster than the data models. Instead of over-analyzing, Franks says marketers should focus on higher-level insights. For example, Nielsen's Three Screens Report provides a dizzying amount of data about digital video usage. The high-level insight, she says, is that, "People love good video content, and they'll take it wherever they can get their hands on it. But a computer won't tell you that, says Franks, "Insight needs to come from a human brain. It still takes a brave, bold and creative marketer to make the call."
Marketers will continue to identify ways to leverage social media as a way to complement email marketing efforts. "If you share good content in social media platforms, readers will likely sign up to be part of your email list moving forward, " says Eric Groves, senior vice president, global market development at Constant Contact. "Our customers are increasingly using Twitter and Facebook to promote their newsletters, share coupons, invite people to events, solicit responses for surveys, and to ask people to join their email lists."


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Federal budget’s pharmacy shake-up – insurance impacts
One of the initiatives in the federal budget made changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Giuseppe Carollo (pictured above) is concerned that the changes will have a negative economic impact on pharmacies, their insurance and the health industry.
“The key issue is a change around the dispensing timeline from 30 days to 60 days,” said Carollo, head of pharmacy insurance for Carollo Horton, part of Honan Insurance Group. He described his firm as one of the biggest pharmacy insurers in the country with thousands of clients.
“I’ve never seen so many pharmacists getting involved on LinkedIn and Facebook, in videos and discussions, it’s such a hot topic,” Melbourne-based Carollo said.
30 days is now 60
The government’s change to the PBS – which provides subsidised, more affordable medicine – targets people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. The new medicine dispensing timeline impacts more than 300 drugs. From September, the change will allow Australians to buy 60 days’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription.
According to an ABC News report, the government expects the change to save Australians $1.6 billion over the next four years because of fewer GP visits for repeat prescriptions.
However, Carollo said the move to 60-day prescriptions is a “step change” from the standard 30 days, which, he said, is typical in most countries. The impact on the pharmacy sector itself is very significant, he said, because “the whole Australian pharmacy industry” was predicated on a maximum prescription duration of 30 days for all medicines.
Economic impacts for pharmacies
“The boxes of the medicine, everything, is designed around 30 days, including the framework regulation and all the pharmacy industry codes,” he said. “So there’s far-reaching impacts.”
He said the first impact is the economic hit.
Carollo said that until this PBS change, people would visit a pharmacy every 30 days with their prescription. After a quick check and a few questions they would receive their next box of medicine. He estimated that for each of these visits, pharmacists receive about $10 from the government for dispensing the medicine. Carollo said the economic blow from getting half the visits for certain drugs and “less foot traffic” could mean pharmacies cut back on services, or even close.
Medicine shortages, fewer transactions and more risk?
Stock availability, he said, is another issue. Carollo said this could lead to “major medicine shortages” partly because supplier stock levels have not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.
Carollo gave Insurance Business a layman’s example: If most clients are going to start buying double the amount of stock, $100,000 worth of medicine currently on the shelves is going to have to be increased to $200,000 worth.
“So immediately, they’re going to need to have more boxes on the shelves and they’re also then going to have less transactions but more risk in that there could be more professional indemnity claims,” he said.
Other insurance implications, said Carollo, will come from claims for damaged stock.
“If a pharmacy business makes an insurance claim for damaged stock, the time it takes to replace the stock could impact the business’s income even more than the initial impact of the claim,” he said.
Professional indemnity exposures
The other concern – for pharmacies and their customers – could be around professional indemnity exposures from customers getting confused about the drugs they should be taking, Carollo said.
“For example, if someone’s got 60 days’ supply at home but after the 40-day mark their doctor changes their prescription to a lower-strength product, that person still has that [earlier] supply at home,” he said. “Sometimes they will assume they can keep taking the other one and get confused.”
Carollo said this raises concerns that people could accidentally overdose or take the wrong medicine. As a result, he said, insurers may need to prepare for potential claims that, in turn, could lead to increased premiums.
As for the rest of the government’s budget initiatives, Carollo said he wasn’t surprised.
“I think there’s been so many leaks out before the budget now that whenever you get the budget readout, it is what you expected because they’ve tested the waters in advance,” he said. “I am happy to see a little bit of a surplus, which I think is probably good for the overall Australian economy at this point.”


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Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren has released an athleisure line in partnership with Alexo Athletica, an activewear brand that specializes in pants with reinforced pockets for carrying firearms.
Lahren announced her brand collaboration on Instagram Friday morning, adding that she has been told she is “too controversial” for athleisure-wear and should stick to “politics and Trump cheerleading.”
View this post on Instagram
Some have told me I’m too “controversial” to have an athleisure line, that conservatives should just stick to politics and Trump cheerleading. My response? Watch me. Introducing Freedom by Tomi Lahren by @alexoathletica full line available now. #TeamTomi #FreedombyTomiLahren #Alexo #athleisure
The line, called Freedom, consists of nine products in varying shades of white, burgundy, and navy — consistent with Lahren’s zealously patriotic, “America First” television personality and complete with star-spangled sports bras and camo-print leggings.
“I think there are a lot of young girls out there who don’t feel like they have a brand that represents their freedom,” Lahren said in her clothing line’s promotional video.
The clothing line appears to be manufactured in China, according to a Poshmark user who put up an Alexo Athletica jacket for resale. A day after the line’s release, Twitter user Robyn Pennacchia reposted a screenshot of the Poshmark post. Consumers are now demanding that Lahren and Alexo confirm if the line is made in America, and the hashtag #MadeInChinaTomi started trending on Twitter.
I am shocked, shocked to find out that Tomi Lahren's Athleisure line for women who don't hate America is... Made In China. pic.twitter.com/doZyJOcQVO— Robyn Pennacchia (@RobynElyse) August 23, 2019
Alexo Athletica is most famous for its signature “carrywear” leggings and pants, which can hold multiple small “protection tools” (like Tasers or pepper spray) and a loaded firearm that is smaller than 23 ounces, but Lahren’s line of leggings doesn’t have a built-in holster for guns.
Alexo founder Amy Robbins, who is best known as a former host of NRATV’s Noir, previously told Vox’s Kaitlyn Tiffany that Lahren’s Instagram post in March 2018, which promoted concealed carry pants, convinced her that influencers were vital to a growing business.
View this post on Instagram
Live. Speak. Stand. Run. Carry with Confidence. Ladies, chances are your assailant is gonna be bigger, stronger and faster and that’s why you have @alexoathletica for your gun, your mace, or even your phone. Yeah, you’ve got it covered. #TeamTomi #alexoathletica #NotYourAverageGunGirl
“That was one of the first a-ha moments when we knew how important brand ambassadors were,” Robbins said. She has also made the case that Alexo is not just restricted to selling firearms-related apparel; the company promotes women’s self-defense holistically and has featured models with pepper blasters, Tasers, and stun guns.
According to Lahren, the line is “more than a pair of leggings or a sports bra.” That’s a sentiment also echoed by other activewear brands, like Outdoor Voices (#DoingThings) and Nike (#JustDoIt). Whether her particular brand is “too controversial” for athleisure, however, remains to be seen.
Sign up for The Goods’ newsletter. Twice a week, we’ll send you the best Goods stories exploring what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters.


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On Tuesday, Cisco Systems Inc. agreed to purchase U.S business software company AppDynamics Inc. for approximately $3.7 billion, the largest deals of the company in the recent years as it aimed for the development beyond its core networking business.
This acquisition happens to be the largest buying activity of Cisco since it bought security company Sourcefire for $2.7 billion in 2013.
Legacy technology companies like Cisco have been trying to change their approach to stay in advance of technology developments, just like the rise of cloud computing, that could otherwise threaten their core businesses.
The AppDynamics whose software helps monitor and analyzes performance of their applications including NASDAQ Inc, Nike Inc and its new owner, Cisco, was gearing up to be the first tech company to go public this year. It has around 2,000 paying customers.
Later today, the company is expected to set price after the bankers increased the IPO’s estimated price that would have valued AppDynamics at as much as approximately $2 billion on earlier Tuesday.
According to the sources, Cisco agreed to pay about $26 a share, this is above the company’s original price range of $10 to $12 a share.
Cisco has been a customer of AppDynamics for more than two years now. Cisco puts a premium on the IPO price partly because of the company’s high revenue growth. During the first nine months of 2016, AppDynamics lost approximately $95 million on revenue of $158 million, up approximately 54% from a year before.
AppDynamics, will become a new unit in Cisco’s Internet of Things and Applications business and will continue to be managed by CEO David Wadhwani.
In Addition, the $3.7 billion offer from Cisco is almost twice the $1.9 billion estimate AppDynamics received in its last financing round in November 2015.
“Cisco made an offer that people felt was compelling,” said Ravi Mhatre, a board member at AppDynamics from LightSpeed Venture Partners.
Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Qatalyst advised AppDynamics while Fenwick & West were Cisco’s legal adviser.
The contract, which is a combination of cash and equity, is expected to end by April.
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Alleged Park-Tickets Scam Busted
ORLANDO -- Authorities have cracked a crime ring that allegedly used stolen credit card numbers to buy large amounts of theme park tickets for sale to independent, offsite outlets.
Three people have been arrested and four others are still being sought on charges, prosecutors said Wednesday.
"I would have to say this is a substantial case," Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Robert Finkbeiner said. He added that the ring was run almost "like a business."
Arrested were Marilu Clement, 38, of Windermere; and Edna Ruiz, 23, and Christian Zeni, 32, both of West Palm Beach.
The seven suspects are charged with organized fraud, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit organized fraud, punishable by up to five years in prison.
In addition, Ruiz and Zeni were charged with multiple counts of identity theft, punishable by up to five years for each count.
According to the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the suspects created phony credit cards using stolen identities and credit card numbers, then used the cards to make purchases -- primarily tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
Investigators said the ring then bought bulk amounts of tickets and sold them at discounts to distributors who had retail booths located off theme park property.
While buying and selling tickets was their main objective, ring members also used the stolen credit card numbers for other purchases, including auto parts and medical services, prosecutors said.
Investigators said they believed identities and credit card numbers were obtained mostly through the use of a device that can be attached inconspicuously to a computer or register at retail stores and restaurants. The captured information was then used to create counterfeit credit cards and identifications.
The investigation began when an informant notified Disney World security of fraudulent activity, Hines said.
It was not known where the arrested suspects were. Finkbeiner said the three had been taken into custody in Orange County, but the Orange County jail said it had no records they were taken there. It could not be determined if they have attorneys.